School Teacher Indicted for Child Pornography

Former St. Paul School Teacher Indicted for Producing, Distributing, and Possessing Child Pornography


May 21, 2010 - A former special education teacher for the St. Paul Public School District has been indicted in federal court for allegedly producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography. The indictment, filed under seal yesterday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, charges Gregg Alan Larsen, age 49, of Minneapolis, with two counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The indictment was unsealed today following Larsen’s initial appearance in federal court in St. Paul.

The indictment alleges that in April of 2006 Larsen induced and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. The indictment cites four pornographic images allegedly produced as a result of the April 2006 activity but indicates more were made.

The indictment also alleges Larsen coerced a second minor victim in a similar fashion in June and July of 2006. The indictment lists 10 pornographic images that were allegedly produced during that time period but, again, alleges additional images were made.

In addition, on May 18, 2009, Larsen allegedly distributed via his computer several extremely graphic images of children, included very young children, engaged in sexual conduct. Moreover, on July 1, 2009, he allegedly possessed on his home computer numerous videos and over 100,000 images of children engaged in sexual conduct.

If convicted, Larsen faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each production count, 20 years for distribution, and 10 years for possession. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Cyber Crime Task Force, sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp.

The case is also part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national initiative to combat the growing epidemic of sexually exploiting children, particularly via the Internet. PSC was launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May of 2006. Led by the Department’s Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, along with U.S. Attorney’s nationwide, PSC encourages federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships and provides resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who abuse children while identifying and rescuing victims of that crime. In 2008, PSC was credited with 2,289 child pornography indictments being filed in federal court nationwide, a 33 percent increase over 2006. For more information about PSC, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.